Jerry “Norrisville Jerry” Marchese

Jerry “Norrisville Jerry” Marchese, a proud, 52-year-long member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, died February 14.

He was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania and lived there his whole life. He graduated from high school there. He loved doo-wop, singing acapella and motorcycles. He joined the Pagans in 1966, a year or so before former Pagan John Hall joined the club. Hall wrote about his experiences in those days in a book called Riding On The Edge.

Marchese was one of those men, in Hall’s words, who “believed that the club could endure and evolve into a brotherhood of middle-aged men united around a common set of interests that included motorcycles. Men who could have wives and kids and camps and boats, and not throw it all away for the sake of wrecking some bar.”

Marchese married his high school sweetheart. Her name was Louise. Then he lost her in 2013.

He lost his grandson Travis last year.

Marchese is survived by his club brothers; his sons Erik, Jesse and Jerry; 13 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. He was buried in Norristown yesterday,

The man who dies with the most stories wins. Norrisville Jerry Marchese was at least a finalist.

I guess maybe i am one of the only people that was brought up looking up to the pagans and other clubs, gangs organization, whatever it may be called. Even though my family was never involved directly except by marriage I still always wanted to be one when i grew up. In my mind what i thought it was or should be is how i viewed jerry. I always heard nothing but good things about him. How he helped out a lot of people and basically was a good dude. Any of the older pagans i ever met were also good people. Then i met a few guys who had colors that were my age and i said to myself who are these clowns getting into something that i held dear to me as kid. People my age who had no clue what respect was for themselves let alone me. It bothered me that i saw people representing what i thought it was about wrongly. Stealing, using, non-loyalty and not living and dieing by their word was everything i thought as a kid the pagans represented. Keep in mind i have no clue what it ment to be involved i never was so this is all out of my own crazy brain. I KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS JUST AND I DO MY BEST TO LIVE LIKE THAT.I didnt even know Jerry yet he was kinda a hero of mine! I am all about being good and if you rape a child i will judge you. If you respect me i will in turn show you the same. I was taught everything in your life was a test therefore i lived like that thinking i was always being tested…It made me the person i am today and I am proud of that person….The pagans even though they don’t know it or even represent what i thought they did played a big role in me being the person i was and Jerry was their poster boy in my mind!!!! I am very sorry this event occurred but i believe in life after death and you all will see him again in the future. Who knows maybe hes ahead of us and we are the ones falling behind! All I can say is for not knowing what the man was about truly or never knowing what the pagans truly represented i created it in my head to be something to be proud of! Something to walk with your head held high. So be proud cause that is some good shit for him to move me as a kid and make me think and become a certain way without even knowing me.